The Progressive Dilemma

Sooner or later it was inevitable that it would start to occur to liberals/”progressives” that the exploding cost of over-generous public employee compensation and pensions would start to crimp social programs themselves. California, New York, and other states are seeing large cuts to education, Medicaid, and other social service programs, even as pension costs continue to skyrocket. In other words, the very programs that comprise the central purpose of liberalism are victims of the corrupt bargain liberals make with unions to keep them in power. But what’s the good of having power if you can’t do much good with it?
Mickey Kaus, who has been on to the problem of Democratic Party union dependency for years, brings our attention to a handful of California Democrats who are becoming “labor-skeptic Democrats.” Of course, “labor skeptics” will be about as welcome as climate skeptics among Democrats, but it is possible this caucus will grow. And if they ever do join in taming public sector unions, maybe they’ll start to re-examine trial lawyers next.